‘I tried Ninja’s new high-tech rucksack cooler and couldn’t believe one detail’

The gadget is currently 20% off in a weekend flash sale on the brand’s website despite only officially hitting UK shelves mere days ago

Ninja has unveiled a huge weekend flash sale, offering chunky discounts on everything from their original airfryer to their iconic Slushi maker. But one of the most eye-catching deals is on a product that only launched in the UK in the last few weeks that has been given a rare early discount, knocking up to £40 off the price.

Ninja may have been the brand that brought air fryers into millions of British homes, but in recent years it has also been on a mission to take over our gardens. The Ninja Woodfire BBQ has officially become the UK’s best-selling outdoor grill since it launched, with shoppers praising it for its multifunction specs that allow home chefs to grill, smoke and even air fry alfresco.

Meanwhile, when we tried the brand’s pizza oven we described it as ‘ the ultimate outdoor kitchen gadget.’ This summer also brought new launches of wheeled cool boxes and, now, the Ninja FrostVault Go backpack.

The eye-catching backpack has gone viral on TikTok, with shoppers praising it for keeping ice frozen for up to 24 hours. While its UK launch has landed at the end of the summer, Ninja has cut 20% off the price this weekend in a flash sale to tempt shoppers keen to buy early and, having had a chance to try one, I think it’s well worth snapping up.

I reviewed its big brother when it launched last year and, memorably, it saved my Christmas when my freezer died just before the big day . The first thing to say about the FrostVault Go is that it takes some of the best bits of these larger coolers and makes them genuinely portable.

Anyone who’s tried to keep sandwiches and food in a coolbox alongside ice and cold drinks knows the struggle of trying to keep everything cold without the food getting soggy. The Go bag has two separate sections in the same way the larger FrostVault does, using the coldness of the drinks to keep food cold in a separate compartment – which has its own cool blocks (that are included in the price) and separate zip section.

The rucksack holds an impressive amount. There are two sizes, a 17 litre 24-can option or a larger 23 litre 36-can version and our larger one held enough food and drink for four of us for an afternoon out and about with plenty of room to spare. I was genuinely surprised at how much ice I needed to pack it with, it looks deceptively small but make no mistake – it’s a Tardis of a cooler and, even by the time we got home at the end of the day, there was plenty of ice still in huge chunks in the main box section.

With standard prices £199 or £229 respectively before this weekend’s 20% off deal it’s definitely a significant investment, but the backpack is as sturdy and well-made as you’d expect and the brand clearly has one eye on making sure the quality lasts, offering specific instructions and a tube of lubricant to ensure long-term zip quality.

Also, when compared to Yeti’s similar high-end rucksack coolers it ends up being not just cheaper but also higher capacity. Yeti’s Hopper M12 cooler costs £275 and the larger M20 version costs £325 and they hold 20 and 36 cans respectively.

There are a few notable differences though. The Yeti bags seem a little softer which potentially might make it more comfortable to carry long distances and you can fit a full-size bottle of wine in the Yeti. Meanwhile, if you are as focused on style as practicalities, the Yeti comes in a rainbow of 17 different limited edition colours, all eminently Instagrammable, when compared to Ninja’s more sedate three options.

Having said all that, I’m happy to swap wine bottles for cans and found walking around with the Ninja backpack comfortable – the padded straps and chest clip to help keep it supported on the shoulders were both great touches. Also, additional details like a bottle opener attached to the front of the bag and side pockets perfect for slipping keys or a phone into to keep them close to hand.

I couldn’t believe the cooler was so efficient it stayed cold even without zipping up the bag – which makes the fact the zips are a bit stiff less of an issue. The lid is also perfect for using as a mini table for drinks to stop them being knocked over on wobbly ground – my children even used it as an impromptu seat although I wasn’t brave enough to see if it’s withstand grown up weight.

We’ll be using it for picnic season and days out, absolutely, but as a family that sometimes finds themselves in hotel rooms where we want to keep a pint of milk and some snacks for the kids when they inevitably wake up early, this is also ideal for tucking in the boot when going on hotel stays.

I’m not the only person who’s been impressed by the bag. As it’s such a new arrival there are currently only 20 reviews for it on the Ninja website, but they are unanimously five stars, with 100% of shoppers recommending the product.

One shopper described it as ‘a very robust piece of equipment,’ adding: “The quality of materials used in construction is very impressive and very well made. The Cushion back pad fits comfortably either side of your spine together with the padded shoulder straps makes it very comfortable to carry. It doesn’t seem anything like as heavy as it first appears. The insulation qualities are fantastic. We packed a picnic for seven people and after seven hours the ice blocks were still frozen solid and everything inside was nice and cold. The T-shaped toggles on each of the zips together with the built in bottle opener are also a brilliant idea.”

A second shopper added: “I have used this a few times now when I have been fishing. It’s a good coolbox and keeps the ice frozen well into my fishing sessions, in fact the ice was still frozen the day after. The zip can be quite stiff but that’s due to the rubber seal around it, although you don’t have to zip it back up every time.”

Ninja’s weekend sale runs until 11.59pm on Sunday night. The FrostVault Go costs from £159.99 in the sale when shoppers use the code COOL20 at checkout.